Smucker & Sons, Inc.
Client Testimonial
“North Group has really helped give us clear direction for the future. They have provided me, along with other key leaders in our organization, encouragement as well as wise counsel as we navigate leading our organization. We value the skills and expertise that North Group provides and the personal relationships that have been forged.”
Client Profile
Smucker & Sons has been serving residential homeowners in the South Central Pennsylvania region since 1960. They currently have locations in Lancaster and Ephrata. Their experienced professionals provide a wide range of exterior home improvement services, including roofing, siding, windows, doors, spouting, and decks, as well as, sunrooms and basement finishing systems. Smucker & Sons continues to build the business by living up to and exceeding their long-time reputation for providing high quality installations and outstanding customer service.
The Challenge
Smucker & Sons came to North Group by way of referral from their accountants, Hostetter & Hostetter CPA’s, also a North Group client. In anticipation of the retirement of current CEO, Lee Smucker, they were looking for assistance in succession planning that went beyond the financial. They wanted to build and develop their Leadership Team into a highly effective and cohesive group that would be able to provide the support needed for the eventual transition.
Our Approach
We began by conducting an Organizational Health and Performance Assessment to find out how we could best support and serve their needs. Two of North Group’s senior consultants co-led the assessment process which allowed for collaboration and shared perspectives in charting out a specific approach and offering solutions.
We identified individuals from different areas within the organization to participate in an interview process. We developed interview questions specific to the organization and then conducted one-on-one interviews with each participant to gather feedback on the organization and its leadership.
North Group created an assessment report highlighting our findings, observations and recommendations. This report was shared first with the ownership group and later with all participants. The transparency shown by the owners to reveal the results with all participants clearly demonstrated the value they place on their employees and the drive they possess to become stronger and better.
Results
Smucker & Sons fully embraced the assessment process, and as a result we identified next steps toward achieving the ultimate goal of succession planning. Today we continue to work with the organization by facilitating regular owner meetings and consistent Leadership Team meetings. We are strengthening and further developing their leaders with one-on-one coaching sessions. We are also providing assistance in business planning as they set their course for future direction and plan for next generation leadership.